The Mummy III: Battle of the Gods
by mildred-the-fish
Summary: A girl falls onto the O'Connell's doorstep and unleashes the Battle of all time....PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! please please pleeeeeease!
1. Soggy Wet and sick. Oh joy!

The Mummy III: Battle of the gods  
  
"Many many thousands of years ago, when the earth was still young, only the gods existed, and they lived happily. Well, most of the time.  
  
Ma'at the goddess of Truth and Justice was locked in a terrible feud with Seth, God of Mischief. They had always fought since time began, Ma'at wanting order and truth, Seth wanting chaos and lies. At this time, their anger had risen to its peak, and the subject turned deadly. Ma'at and Seth planned a war to finish all. In the end, one god would be dead; the other would be living. Ma'at's husband, Thoth, and Seth's wife, Nepthys, were very good friends, and begged their spouses to not go through with their plans, and try to forgive each other. Neither would agree.  
  
Finally in frustration, both ran to the sun god, Amun-Ra, and pleaded before him that he may stop the fighting between their companions and let them be peaceful.  
  
Amun-Ra agreed, and talked with Ma'at and Seth. Much as he tried, he could not persuade the two from combat. Instead, he had them agree to delay their war until a great evil had risen twice, and a great good had defeated it both times. Then, they were to choose three companions to lead their armies.  
  
Ma'at chose the great good and Seth chose the great evil. But, Amun-Ra had tricked them. They must agree to be reincarnated in humans to battle in the center of a great country, Egypt. They would not know they were gods until nine days before the day they were to battle. The descriptions of the two reincarnations, the day, the great good and great evil, and descriptions of their spouses were written onto two scrolls, sealed in a gold jar, and thrown onto the earth. They were only to be found by the great good and great evil at the time before the battle."  
  
Evelyn closed the dusty reference book, and looked up at Alex, now 18.  
  
"Mum, you don't have to read me bedtime stories anymore. I'm a grown man."  
  
Evie smiled. "I know that. This isn't a bedtime story. It's a legend meant for remembering if or when you take over for your father and me."  
  
Alex stood up from his chair and stretched.  
  
"Oh, I know Mum. You know I've wanted to be an archaeologist ever since I looked at a hieroglyph."  
  
"Which would have been since you were born." Replied Rick as he walking in through the doorway.  
  
"Are we all ready to leave on another expedition?"  
  
Alex and Evie nodded as they pulled on their coats.  
  
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.  
  
"Now, who could that be on such a stormy night like tonight?" asked Rick, as he opened the front door.  
  
There, standing on the step, was a girl, who looked to be about 17. She was wearing the most wet, ratty clothes you could find, and was holding a waxy leather envelope. She looked like she had just been sick in the bushes, and looked as ill as anyone could be.  
  
"Is this the O'Connell's?" she peeped.  
  
Rick nodded, looking confused.  
  
The girl held out the package, and as Rick took it, she collapsed onto the hall carpet, unconscious.  
  
*****  
  
Catherine stumbled up the drive way to the huge mansion in front of her. That flower woman had been very kind in directing her here, and she had better be at the right house. He clothes were wet, and she had been suffering from a massively strong flu ever since she came here. She had lost everything and the only thing she would not let out of her sight was a dull, paraffin waxed leather file bag. It was he mothers instructions that she take this bag to the O'Connell's, who ever they were, and live with them. As she dragged herself nearer to the doorway, she had to run and be sick behind a small shrub. She wiped her mouth off, shuffled over to the front door, and rang the doorbell.  
  
Supporting herself on the doorframe, the door opened, and a man was in front of her.  
  
She felt very faint, said her few words, handed the folder to him, and felt the soft rug on her cheek as she fell and blacked out.  
  
***** 


	2. Something we never expected, and Alex do...

Rick stood there, staring at the unknown girl that lay in his front hallway. Evie, on the other hand, screamed, and rushed to help the girl. Alex sat down wondering what would happen to their trip.  
  
"Rick, could you help me take her to the guest bedroom?" Evie asked, dabbing the girl's burning forehead with a teat towel.  
  
He shook himself out of his stupor and gently picked the girl up in his arms and followed Evie to the bedroom.  
  
His wife, ever prepared, had placed all her medicinal needs in the room with her, along with a pair of fresh clothes.  
  
"Thank you, sweetie, I have work to do…" Evie said, looking at him, then at the clothes.  
  
Rick understood completely, and left to see what Alex was up to, and what was in that leather envelope.  
  
*****  
  
1 Alex slumped down in a chair waiting for word on what would happen about his trip. He had been waiting for this ever since….ever. This would be his first time travelling to a dig HE would be included in. He could be able to dig up his own artifacts, and could be able to keep them or give them to a museum. Alex was so excited and hyped up he could barely contain himself. Then, that girl came and landed on the carpet. Why not just ship her over to a hospital and leave. The train was leaving tomorrow, and they were just going to stop over at Uncle John's house, see how he was doing, and whether or not the house was decimated into a dump of bottles and knickers of unknown owners. Alex looked up at his dad walking down that stairs with a look of concentration. He too sat down in an opposite chair and looked at Alex.  
  
"Alex, I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no."  
  
"But DAD!"  
  
Rick held up his hand and Alex quieted.  
  
"Yes, I know you have been expecting this for a while, but your mother and I have to talk this over."  
  
Alex opened his mouth in response, but closed it. He knew better than to start a quarreling match with his father, who was just as stubborn as he was.  
  
And the more he behaved, the larger chance he had of going.  
  
*****  
  
Evie looked over her 'patient'. She had changed her out of the soaked, disintegrated clothed, and put on a pair of old, warm flannel pajamas Alex had when he was 13. The girl had a raging fever, and a damp cloth was smoothed over her forehead. Evie was sitting in a chair next to her, reading a book and checking the girl's temperature every now and again.  
  
*****  
  
Rick grabbed the envelope by his side and cracked it open, breaking the wax on the seams. Inside was a stack of papers and on the top was a hand- written letter. It said:  
  
Dear Mr. O'Connell,  
  
I hope that this letter never is given to you as it is only a last resort, but if fate has not smiled upon me, I hope you understand.  
  
I, Sheila Elizabeth Monroe, daughter of the late Winston Monroe, know that you were very close to my father. My mother died in childbirth when I was 7 and he raised me in the best form he could being a pilot in the first great war. I grew up and had a family of my own, which I took care of very well, I hope. Devastatingly, my husband died in the second great war in a plane crash, as my father did. At this time I seriously thought about will's, and who would take care of my only daughter, Catherine. I do not have any close family or friends that would accept my daughter, either out of their travel habits or that they have too many children to accept another. I contemplated what I was going to do, and the only thought I had was of you. My father told me many things about you later in his life, and you seemed like the only responsible adult I have known. In this folder are the papers and my will to allow my daughter to become your own. I hope you may accept her and take care of her as I did.  
  
Signed,  
  
Sheila Elizabeth Monroe age 40  
  
Rick placed the letter over to one side. Sure enough there were papers that were completely legal and binding saying that in the event both parents of this girl died, she would be handed over to him and his family if he had one.  
  
He fell back into his chair and sighed. This would be interesting to explain to Evie, and impossible for Alex.  
  
"Alex?" he said.  
  
His son looked up from flipping through the newspaper.  
  
"Read this," he said, handing him the letter, "and try to not go insane on me."  
  
*****  
  
Alex' jaw dropped.  
  
At least, that was what it looked like from Rick's point of view. He had read the letter, went through the will with a fine toothed comb, and his jaw dropped. Nothing else.  
  
*****  
  
Catherine stirred from her bed. Where was she? Her glasses had been taken off and placed on a nearby table. She slipped out of bed and looked at her new clothes. They were red plaid pajamas, and had an 'A' embroidered on the chest. She picked up her glasses and placed them over her nose. That was better. She could see now. And she felt better, much better. No more headaches or upset stomach, fever, or aches all over, but she was ravenous. She padded out into the hall and scanned the area. It was obvious she was in the house she had collapsed in, but only by the pattern of the hall carpet she had last seen. Catherine walked down the stairs and smiled at the sun streaming in through the window in the parlor. The kitchen was right in front of her and she opened a cupboard. Inside was just dry goods like flour and sugar, nothing she could eat right now. Looking on the table there was a large bowl of apples.  
  
"Yum!" she muttered to herself, picking up a nice red one and rubbing it on her sleeve to clean it off.  
  
"Just what do you think you're doing?!" a voice shouted from behind her.  
  
In her shock she dropped the apple on the table, and twisted around. The man behind her was taller than her and looked like he was going to explode.  
  
Her mouth went dry, and her voice sank to a whisper.  
  
"I, I, was j,just going eat the apple…I didn't mean to do any harm or anything, I just, just was hungry."  
  
The man still looked angry, and frowned at her.  
  
"Then pick it up and eat it! Don't leave it lying there!" he raised his voice.  
  
"Yes, sir." She answered, though he had to at least as old as her, and picked up the fallen apple.  
  
*****  
  
Alex was furious, even through the three weeks that girl, Catherine, was sleeping. His parents had gone and left him! That girl made him lose his only chance to work on a dig he would be in. And worse, she was now his adopted sister! Although he cared for her (in the sloppiest way he tried) while his mum and dad were gone, he still loathed her presence in his house.  
  
He washed his lunch dishes and carefully put them away in the cabinet. Then he went outside. There was still gardening to do, and he secretly loved caring for a small pine tree in an out of the way corner in the garden. He had planted it from a cutting he had taken from the Christmas tree the family had when he was eight. That year seemed somewhat special, seeing as he had survived being kidnapped, his father almost killed, and his mother being murdered but raised back to life. They were all happy to be home and living. He walked out onto the brick patio and took a small pouch of tools he had hidden behind a rock, and began to work. He hummed a wandering tune as he dug his fingers into the earth and trimmed the bushes. How he loved this work! His parents would never think him sane if they caught him working out here; they hired a gardener to fix up the place every three months and clear away the fallen leaves in autumn. Alex went out and helped him whenever his parents went out, and got to know him by name. Marcus, it was, and he only seemed to be his age. He had a sister, but a real one, and her name was Mirella. She was 17, close to his age, and was pretty. She had black hair, and warm brown eyes, like her older brother.  
  
He stood up, cleaned off his tools and looked himself over. He was moderately clean, except for his hands, and went inside to wash them off.  
  
Alex walked into the bathroom and washed his hands. He stopped when walking out the door. What was that? He heard a noise in the kitchen. Who could it be?  
  
Alex creeped down the stairs and carefully stepped down the hallway. He looked, and there was that girl. His 'sister'. New rage boiled up inside him and he exploded.  
  
"Just WHAT do you think you're doing!?" he shouted.  
  
She must have jumped ten feet in the air, and dropped the apple she was holding.  
  
"I, I, was j,just going eat the apple…I didn't mean to do any harm or anything, I just, just was hungry."  
  
He glared at her, then at the apple on the table.  
  
"Then pick it up and eat it! Don't leave it lying there!" He replied, remembering what she had done to him.  
  
"Yes, sir." She answered, and she picked up the apple.  
  
"My name is Alex." He growled.  
  
She looked up at him.  
  
"Yes, Alex."  
  
"Thank you." he snapped. "What's your name?" how could he not remember her name? After all, she had now been his sister for three weeks.  
  
"Catherine." She said, bit into the apple.  
  
*****  
  
"Well, Catherine," he had said, spitting out her name as if it was bitter to his taste, "do you know why you're here?"  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"No, Alex, I don't. I only thought it was because I, kind of…went unconscious in your hallway."  
  
She honestly had no idea.  
  
"Well, it seems that you're now my sister, and you made me stay home to take care of you for three weeks and MISS OUT ON MY ARCHEOLOGICAL DIG!" he screamed.  
  
Why on earth is he being so snippy?! She thought.  
  
"What is this? I don't even know you!" Catherine yelled back. If he was going to shout at her, he was going to get shout at too. "I come to your house and have no idea whether I'm going to live to the next week and against my own power I happen to black out in your hallway. I had no frigging idea what was going on in your travel plans! It wasn't my fault I got sick! It wasn't my fault my mother died! It wasn't my fault I was sent here under mum's orders that I was to come to you! How would you like to be in my shoes!" 


	3. In which our already wakes up and meets ...

*****  
  
Alex stopped. It was out of sheer shock that he was being yelled at by his own sister. Yes, it was probably true that she was sick, but her mother had died? And stayed dead? That hit too close to home. Now it was his turn to stutter.  
  
"I, I had no idea your mother died. I didn't know that." He said quietly.  
  
Catherine looked at him strangely.  
  
"Well," she started, "now you do. Are you alright?"  
  
Alex nodded, then laughed.  
  
"This is great, isn't it. Our first day knowing we're brother and sister, and we argue."  
  
Then Mum and Dad walked in through the front door.  
  
*****  
  
"Mum! Dad! You're home!" Alex shouted, and ran toward them. Catherine, on the other hand, scampered upstairs.  
  
Evie set down her bags and hugged Alex.  
  
"It's good to see you so happy. Is our patient woken up yet?"  
  
He nodded and looked around.  
  
"She was here a minute ago…um…"  
  
"Just a minute, I'm changing!" came her voice from upstairs.  
  
Rick looked at Evie.  
  
"Do we have any clothes up there that would fit her?"  
  
"Only old things that don't fit me."  
  
*****  
  
Catherine stepped out of her room and walked down the stairs. She actually looked good in her opinion. She had found an old dress shirt of Alex's, and a black skirt and stockings of Evie's.  
  
As she walked down the stairs, she smiled.  
  
"Um…hi, everyone." She said quietly.  
  
"Hello Catherine. I hope you will like your new home, and that you are feeling better." Said Evie happily.  
  
Rick looked up from putting away the bags.  
  
"I don't think she knows we're here parents yet."  
  
"Oh, I do. Alex sort of said it when we got into a big-"  
  
"Conversation!" Alex cut in "Yes, Catherine and I were into a conversation and I explained she was now adopted."  
  
Whatever you say thought Catherine.  
  
"Did you find anything on your dig?" Alex asked.  
  
Evie nodded and opened a separate bag stuffed with newspaper. She lifted out a rough clay container sealed with wax. The seal hadn't been broken yet.  
  
"Yes, we found this. I don't know why we haven't opened it yet, I just felt we shouldn't. Oh, Marcus said he would be over soon."  
  
Evelyn gently set the container down on a table and began to carry two suitcases up the stairs.  
  
The doorbell rang, and Alex jogged over to the door. As he opened it, a man about his age with black hair and brown eyes smiled.  
  
"Hello Alex! Did your parent's find anything?" he said.  
  
As he walked in, a girl followed him.  
  
"Yes, actually they di-Hey! Why's Mirella here?"  
  
The girl turned and glared at Alex. Marcus turned and caught sight of her.  
  
"Oh, Dad's out on a business trip, and since my uncle's baby sitting us, he made her some with me."  
  
Alex groaned and shut the door.  
  
"Come in. You can talk to Catherine."  
  
Both looked up, surprised.  
  
"Who's Catherine?" Mirella asked. She too had black hair and brown eyes.  
  
Alex motioned toward the sofa.  
  
"I'll explain as soon as we sit down."  
  
All four sat down around the living room and relaxed.  
  
"Okay," Alex began, "Everyone, meet Catherine, my adopted sister."  
  
Marcus' jaw dropped.  
  
"You have a sister?! Since when?"  
  
"Since three weeks ago when she showed up on our doorstep and fainted."  
  
There was a confused silence as everyone tried to understand.  
  
"Um…ok…uh…Hello Catherine, how do you do?" Mirella asked, standing up.  
  
Catherine fixed her glasses and nodded her head with a shy smile.  
  
"I'm good, thank you."  
  
Marcus looked around the room.  
  
"Hey! What's that on the table?" he jumped up and picked up the clay object. "It's closed. Want to open it?"  
  
Alex shrugged while Catherine and Mirella did nothing and tried to make conversation.  
  
"A shrug is as good as a nod, so I say, open it."  
  
Marcus sat down with the container in his lap and started to pick at the wax seal. It came off in one piece easily, as wax who knows how old is quite brittle.  
  
Alex peered over his shoulder into the hole.  
  
"I think there's something in it."  
  
"Well of course there's something in it, you dolt, why would it be sealed?" Catherine remarked.  
  
Everyone looked at her, and Mirella laughed out loud.  
  
"In all my life, I haven't heard anyone call Alex a dolt!" she said through laughs.  
  
"You mean there's more things he's been called?" Catherine asked, scooting across the couch next to Mirella.  
  
"Yes! He's been called an idiot more than once, a chicken, a fool, an a-"  
  
"Mirella!" Marcus shouted. "Of all people, you should not be saying words like that!"  
  
"But you called him that yourself!" she replied  
  
Catherine smiled as Marcus grew red.  
  
Alex grabbed the container and peeked inside.  
  
"It looks like a scroll," he said as he grabbed it and pulled it out. It looked to be in amazing condition for 3000 years old.  
  
"Hey! It says something! Um…wait, I'll have to get Mum or Dad for this…"  
  
And he walked out of the room.  
  
"So Catherine, how did you get here?" Mirella asked.  
  
And Catherine told her.  
  
*****  
  
Alex walked into his mothers bedroom holding the papyrus, and sat down.  
  
"Mum, um, what does this say?" he asked.  
  
Evelyn looked up from putting her clothes in the boudoir and looked over the paper.  
  
"I haven't seen this before? Why can't you read it?"  
  
Alex looked frustrated.  
  
"I've tried and tried to look this over but I just cant figure it out. I mean, it looks like egyptian, and I can remember each picture and what it means, but this wording just doesn't make sense. They must mean a different thing than the obvious."  
  
Evie took the scroll out of his hands and tried to read it.  
  
"I see what you mean. It looks like words that are so spaced out and- wait! Look here…right at the bottom. I can read it. It says "All who can read this beware. The time of battle is coming in thirteen days…well, that's interesting. I guess in time we'll be able to read it."  
  
*****  
  
Catherine had finished her long explanation to Mirella and both sat in silence.  
  
"What now?" asked Mirella  
  
Marcus had wandered off too looking through the who knows how many rooms Alex had in his house, and suddenly returned, holding a scimitar (that crooked sword thingy)  
  
"Rahh! Take that Imhotep!" he yelled, chopping at a pillar.  
  
Catherine looked confused.  
  
"Imhotep? You seem so sure of the name."  
  
Mirella sighed.  
  
"I take it Alex hasn't told you about his adventure when he was eight."  
  
Catherine shook her head.  
  
"Well," she began, "Eight years ago, he put on a bracelet, went to the Oasis of Ahm Shere, his mum died and was resurrected, his dad killed a scorpion king, and they all got saved at the last minute with his-your- uncle grabbing a huge diamond. Need I say more?"  
  
"Where does Imhotep come in the picture? And this is fake, right?"  
  
Mirella shook her head. "No, this isn't fake, and Imhotep wanted to kill this king guy so he could rule the world."  
  
"Ok, I am seriously thinking why my mum wanted me in this family."  
  
"Me too."  
  
Alex bounded down the stairs, still holding the scroll.  
  
"Hey, Mum said you could sleep over!"  
  
"When did we ask that?" said Mirella.  
  
Marcus walked in, smiling.  
  
"Who said you had rule over me?"  
  
Mirella fell back into the sofa. "I guess Uncle is coming over with our belongings?"  
  
Marcus and Alex nodded as the doorbell rang.  
  
"And that would be him."  
  
Evie and Rick both ran to the door, and both gasped as Rick opened it.  
  
"AREDETH?? When did you have kids????" Evie shrieked.  
  
Aredeth walked in, carrying two bags of clothes and a pillow each.  
  
"Hello Evelyn." He said, turning to Evie, then to Rick, " O'Connel. And, no Marcus and Mirella are not my children, through we may look alike."  
  
Catherine walked over to the door, and peeked outside at the man at the door. She nearly fainted. Ah! He's gorgeous. There wasn't any cars outside, but a large, double-decker bus was driving away. She shrugged and picked up a bag to carry it to a room. As she walked upstairs, she motioned for Mirella to follow her, and she did.  
  
***** 


	4. In which Evie and Rick go looking.

"Well, then who are the parents of Marcus and Mirella?" Rick asked, closing the door.  
  
"They are my brother Onrel's. He, being the younger of us, decided that there was no use in staying the Med-Jai, and left to become a business man in Europe. He is out on a trip with his wife, and I was asked to take care of them." Said Aredeth.  
  
"Oh, alright. Well, please, come in and sit down." Evie said, motioning toward the sofa. He sat and sighed.  
  
"Who is the girl with the glasses and blond hair?"  
  
"Turns out she is the legal adopted daughter of us. You remember Winston?" said Rick  
  
"Yes, and the plane ride."  
  
"Well, that girl, Catherine, is his grand-daughter. So far of what we know, all of her family had died. She seems to be getting along well with Mirella."  
  
Aredeth smiled.  
  
"That's good. There dosen't seem to be many girls her age on their street. She could use a friend out of school."  
  
*****  
  
Catherine set the bag down on a bed.  
  
"Is that man at the door your uncle?"  
  
Mirella nodded.  
  
"Uncle Aredeth. He comes from Egypt."  
  
"Why does he have those markings on his face?"  
  
She shrugged.  
  
"I don't know. I've never asked."  
  
*****  
  
"Catherine, your daughter, there seems to be something unusual about her."  
  
Rick laughed.  
  
"Aside from being blond, having glasses, and fainting on our doorstep the night we were going to leave on a dig, you find something weird about her?"  
  
Evie glared at Rick, and promptly gave him a whack up the side of his head.  
  
Rick flinched and held his head.  
  
"Anyway, go on." Evie said, picking up her cup of tea (they are in England. What do you expect?)  
  
"Well, she just seems to have this look in her eyes that doesn't look…her. It's like she's herself, but someone else is living inside her head, and seeing what else is going on."  
  
Rick was so confused, he though he might be sick. "I don't get it, but I'll try…"  
  
*****  
  
All of the kids were in the kitchen, trying to sneak something to eat while Aredeth, Evie and Rick were talking in the living room.  
  
Alex grabbed a bag of cookies, and sneaked back up the stairs, the rest following him. They all sat down on the bed, and ate, and talked, and finally fell asleep. Little did they know what was about to happen the next morning.  
  
*****  
  
Catherine stretched, and pushed the blanket off her. The sun was pouring through the window, and it felt like morning.  
  
"La la la.." she sang, walking over the three other unconscious people laying around her, and picked up a housecoat. She wrapped it around her and walked into the kitchen.  
  
"Good morning!" she said to Rick and Evie, walking over to the counter to pick up an apple. "Have you figured out what that scroll meant?"  
  
Rick looked up from the paper.  
  
"Nope. We both checked it over as much as we could, but I don't think we've looked at it this morning (yes, Rick has learned Egyptian!)"  
  
"Oh, ok. I thought I heard you in the kitchen earlier this morning."  
  
"No. wait, we were up. Honey, why weren't we checking on the scroll? I meant, after-"  
  
Evie shot him a 'don't-you-dare-say-anything-or-you'll-be-sleeping-on-the- couch' look and he shut up.  
  
Catherine gasped, and laughed as she buried her head in her arms.  
  
Rick stood up, and folded the newspaper.  
  
"I think I'll check on that scroll right now and not say anything."  
  
And he took off.  
  
Catherine sat in silence chewing her apple and looking at all the artifacts that were, well, everywhere. Marcus then walked down, with Alex and Mirella following him.  
  
"Hello everyone. Are you up for breakfast?" Evie asked, taking out a frying pan.  
  
Alex grimaced and had the others follow along.  
  
"Um…maybe not today mum, we were kind of snacking last night…"  
  
Evie shrugged and the rest picked up something from the bowl of fruit on the table.  
  
"You don't want to know mum's cooking." Alex whispered as he went by.  
  
All of a sudden, Rick came storming down the stairs, and ran into the kitchen.  
  
"Evie! Evie! Alex! I can read the scroll! Every word of it!"  
  
Evie dropped the frying pan.  
  
"What? Really?"  
  
Rick nodded excitedly and showed it to her. Her face took on a surprised look, and she recited the first sentence from it.  
  
"This is the scroll of the great war between the gods Ma'at and Seth. Oh my God! This has never been found at all! There are only possibly two pages total about this event! Rick, if what I know is correct, something is going to happen and soon!"  
  
No one spoke at the table. Marcus had dropped his apple and Mirella and Catherine were very confused. Alex was standing with his parents looking at the scroll.  
  
"Uh…so…this means the world is gonna end?" asked Rick  
  
Evie stared at him.  
  
"You read the part at the end! Of course the world is going to end!"  
  
Catherine managed to speak, at the looks of everyone else.  
  
"Well, um, maybe you should read the rest of the scroll before we come to any conclusions? Hehe….I guess.."  
  
"Good point." answered Mirella.  
  
*****  
  
Marcus and his sister had left earlier and Alex and Catherine were either reading or looking around in Catherine's case. Rick and Evie were sitting in their bedroom, Evie poring over a textbook.  
  
"I know that it has to be here somewhere, but where…"  
  
Rick leaned over and kissed her.  
  
"You always are looking at textbooks. Why not relax for a bit?"  
  
Rick continued to kiss her neck, and she took off her reading glasses and decided to relax.  
  
"Wait. No." she said, after pulling away long enough to breath, "That scroll needs to be looked at."  
  
Rick sighed and hung his head. This had always happened…  
  
Evie looked over the scroll, and decided to actually read it seriously.  
  
"Ok, it says here, and I quote from the beginning, or where I left off:  
  
"The body of ma'at will be female, and she will look unlike all. Her hair will be like the desert sands, her eyes gray as storm clouds, waiting to flash and thunder. She will be completely backwards in her writing and battle movements, and she will be scarred, to prove she is mortal. One will know only who this one will be by only a look into her eyes.  
  
Thoth will be opposite from Ma'at. His hair will be dark as night and eyes the colour of cedar. He will not be backwards, and will wield a sword as pharaoh. He will be revealed after Ma'at.  
  
Seth will have hair like the sun and eyes like the Nile. He will also wield a sword as pharaoh, and he will be revealed at the time of Ma'at.  
  
Nepthys will be like Thoth, though female. She will not be backward in writing, and will be revealed after Seth.  
  
The companions to the pairs will we called to Egypt, whether living or dead, and will be presented with armour and weapons by their leaders. The armies will also be called to Egypt and will be presented with weapons, if not already owned by the troops.  
  
This will begin the battle of ages. In the end, one will die and one will succeed. The victor will have rule over the world.  
  
So this will begin thirteen days after this scroll has been recited and read."  
  
Rick smacked his forehead.  
  
"Evie, you did it again."  
  
She looked up and looked scared.  
  
"What? I did what?"  
  
"Read over the last line of the scroll again."  
  
Evie did so, and still was confused.  
  
"I don't understa…oh dear, I have done it again! Oh no…"  
  
She broke down and started to cry in her hands. Rick hugged her, and kissed her. "You'll be alright. We just need to find people who fit these descriptions."  
  
Just like my wife to always start the end of the world Rick thought.  
  
*****  
  
"Ok, Catherine, Alex. We've explained this to you, and we need your help. Do any of you know a blond haired boy or girl with gray eyes and does everything backwards and was thought to be weird by someone looking at them?"  
  
Alex and Catherine sat, having trying to compute, not caring.  
  
"Alex! Catherine!" Rick shouted, waking them from the stupor.  
  
"Ok, so you need a blond that does everything backwards and is weird. How about Catherine?"  
  
Catherine smacked Alex up the back of his head.  
  
"Ow! But mum's right. You are blond…sort of…"  
  
She looked over her hair.  
  
"You're right. It's kind of….mutt hair."  
  
Rick sat down.  
  
"Mutt hair?"  
  
"Yeah. It's blond, brown, black, and every once in a while a reddish brown hair ends up on the brush. It kind of looks like all the kings of sand or dirt you could find. In PEI, that's a province in Canada, the dirt's red, and most other places it's brown or black, and I think, though this might be guessing, sand is yellowish or reddish depending on how you look at it."  
  
Rick shrugged and sighed.  
  
"Well, Evie, lets go looking on the street. We need to find blond girls."  
  
***** 


	5. In which Catherine has something wrong w...

One day had passed since the O'Connell parents had gone looking for girls. All didn't seem to do anything backwards, though one girl ended up walking out the door backwards. They returned home tired and drained for ideas. Alex was talking to Marcus (who happened to let himself in this time). Catherine and Mirella were conferencing about the latest fashions and how women needed to have more variety in their lives by wearing the jeans men wore. Aredeth was in the kitchen, cooking.  
  
"So my friends, you have returned from searching?" he asked, smiling.  
  
Rick nearly fainted.  
  
"Um, Aredeth, you're wearing an apron."  
  
He looked himself over, then back at Rick.  
  
"So? You wore one for cooking yourself."  
  
He shrugged and sat down at the table while Evie called everyone to dinner. The kids came rushing in and sat down. Aredeth placed 7 plates of something down on the table, and sat while Mirella sampled the dish nervously. She ate, and started to wolf the food down as if there was no tomorrow (haha. Pun intended (for you half-wits: Reading the scroll meant the end of the world?))  
  
The rest joined in. All cleaned their plates and complimented the chef.  
  
"Uncle Aredeth, what exactly did you serve us?" Marcus asked.  
  
"Fried camel's feet." He answered.  
  
Marcus blanched and ran to the bathroom. Aredeth started to laugh; the joke was on his nephew.  
  
"I'm kidding! It was meat pies! Come back!"  
  
Catherine shook her head and sat down with her adopted parents.  
  
"I take it you haven't found any one that fit the description?"  
  
Evie shook her head and set down the pencil she was using to cross off all the names of girls they had tried. Catherine picked it up, and started to doodle on a corner of the newspaper.  
  
"I didn't know you were left handed." Rick piped up.  
  
Catherine looked up.  
  
"You haven't noticed? I just ate dinner with you and you didn't see which hand I was holding the fork with?"  
  
"Nope." He shrugged and leaned back.  
  
Aredeth walked into the room, back from convincing Marcus the dinner was really meat pies, and he stretched and leant against a pillar. He looked over at the young woman to the left of him.  
  
"Catherine, have you noticed anything different in the past day?" he asked.  
  
She shook her head and asked if she was supposed to, besides the scroll Rick and Evie had brought back.  
  
Aredeth looked into her eyes, studying them. That look was still there, but why? He had better talk to his friends before he left.  
  
Luckily enough, woman in question left the room to probably bother Alex.  
  
He sat down on the armchair.  
  
"Do you remember what I had asked about your daughter a few days ago?"  
  
The couple answered positively (means they said 'yeah, what about it?')  
  
"I read the scroll this afternoon, and I've been wondering, what about her?"  
  
Evie looked over at her husband, and he did the same.  
  
"You know…he could be right." Evie said.  
  
"No, she-wait! That's it! Just a sec-" Rick shouted and sprinted upstairs.  
  
"Catherine! Come here for a minute!"  
  
Evie heard murmuring upstairs, a shout, and then Rick dragging his daughter down the stairs.  
  
"Evie! Aredeth! It all fits! Look!"  
  
He lifted Catherines skirt up to her knees, and Catherine looked like she was about to run away. On her right leg was an eight inch scar.  
  
"So? She has a scar."  
  
"But everything fits! Look, Catherine's eyes are gray, her hair is blond, she's left handed, and she has a scar! See!" he said excitedly.  
  
"But lots of girls are blond, left-handed, have gray eyes, and have scars. She might not be the one." Evie said.  
  
"No, wait," the Med-jai said "Catherine, come here. Look into my eyes."  
  
Catherine gladly pulled her skirt back from Rick, and looked at Aredeth.  
  
"It's there…I can see it…she is the one…"  
  
"What? Just a second, let me sit down." 


	6. In which everyone takes a trip

Catherine sat down and continued to speak.  
  
"Who is 'this one' you keep speaking about? I mean, if there's a one, it's definitely not m-" Catherine collapsed onto the coffee table mid-scentence.  
  
"Catherine? Are you alright?" Evie asked, shaking her daughters shoulder. She awoke, but her eyes were different. They were brown.  
  
"You have chosen correctly, Neferteri." She began in ancient Egyptian. Evie recoiled. She had never told her about being reincarnated. "You have. I am Ma'at, goddess of justice and order. I have returned to proclaim battle on my enemy, Seth, and to decide once and for all which will reign on earth, order or chaos."  
  
Alex came down the stairs, his friends following him. He stopped.  
  
"Woah! What is wrong with her?" he shouted, and ran toward the living room.  
  
Catherine stiffened, and narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Seth. So we meet again."  
  
"What? I'm not Seth." Alex stepped forward, and grabbed his head. He blinked, and began to stare at Catherine. His eyes were brown too.  
  
"Ma'at, what a pleasure. Once again speaking to pointless humans? I never spoke to them, the fools. To weak and open. Even the pharaoh was hardly better. He just wore a headress, thinking himself better."  
  
Catherine stood up.  
  
"How dare you say that! You insult your own brother you dog! Humans are more precious than we think. They worship us, we provide. It all continues smoothly, and you have to disorder things. Why else do you think I hate you!"  
  
Marcus and his sister were standing, wondering what to do next, when they both shivered and stood taller.  
  
Catherine looked over to her right and smiled.  
  
"Thoth! How I have missed you!" she cried, walking over to Marcus and hugging him. Alex did the same to Mirella.  
  
Aredeth walked over to Rick.  
  
"Have I started something? Do they normally do this?"  
  
Rick shook his head.  
  
"No. I think we just found out who we were looking for."  
  
Evie was now having a heated conversation with Catherine in Egyptian, asking where the battle would be held.  
  
"It will he held two hundred leagues west of Thebes, in the vast desert, where none innocent will be taken, but where Seth will be more accustomed, since he was banished there after he murdered his brother, Osiris…"  
  
Seth glared at Ma'at.  
  
"But, he will still have power over the sands. It will be a challenge for me, but anything is possible with the good that defeated the evil. Twice."  
  
Rick looked surprised.  
  
"Cather-I mean, Ma'at, who or what is the good that will help you?"  
  
"Why, Nefertiri and the lost Med-jai. They were the two to defeat the evil."  
  
Rick looked over at his wife. "She's talking about us, right?" Evie nodded.  
  
"Oh man…"  
  
Then, one by one, each shook their heads as if waking up out of a deep sleep.  
  
"Uh, yeah. What happened about Catherine? She looked different and was speaking some weird language." Marcus asked.  
  
"You don't remember?" Aredeth asked, walking over to his nephew and niece.  
  
Both shook their heads, thinking their uncle had finally lost it.  
  
"So!" Evie raised her voice "Is anyone up for a trip to Egypt?"  
  
*****  
  
The next morning everyone was packed and ready within half an hour, and plans were made last minute, care to the millions of dollars of riches the two owners had brought back from a trip to Egypt twenty years ago.  
  
They left for Egypt on a small commercial airliner (yes, they had them in the 40's, but few) and landed just outside of Cairo. Then, they had a train from Cairo to past day Thebes.  
  
"So what you're trying to tell me is that I am an incarnated goddess, Alex is after my blood, I'm married to Marcus and he's friends with Mirella and she's married to Alex." Catherine asked.  
  
"Yes." Evie answered simply.  
  
"And you are sniffing….?"  
  
"Catherine! I'm your foster mother! You know I would not sniff anything. Aredeth on the other hand I believe has gotten into the rum…" she said, her eyes following the warrior run shakily toward the bathroom.  
  
Rick followed him.  
  
"See? Now don't you feel so much better?" he said, smiling.  
  
"Rick! You know he hasn't drunk that." Evie scolded.  
  
Aredeth walked out of the washroom pale, and wiped his mouth. "Correction, I have tried something like rum, only not-in-that-volume!" he said, stumbling over to a seat.  
  
"Dad, you knew he couldn't hold half a mickey (the flat curved bottles), so why'd you give it to him." Said Alex, carrying a glass bottle of an amber liquid in with him.  
  
"Oh, hello mum! Hehe…um, ten more days until the end of the world, right?"  
  
Evie stood up in front of her son.  
  
"Alex, you know better than to be drinking. You'll end up just like Uncle Jonathan. Drunk and living off your sister."  
  
Alex frowned and tossed the mickey off to his father.  
  
"I wasn't drinking, I was watching Aredeth drink. There is a difference."  
  
Catherine was smirking with her hand over her mouth.  
  
"I am beginning to regret falling onto your doorstep." She laughed. "Where are Mirella and her brother?"  
  
Alex motioned to the car behind them, when they stepped through the door.  
  
"Hi Thoth. Hi Nepthys." She said, waving.  
  
"Oh, I see Mrs. O'Connell's given you the 'you're a reincarnated god, so you're going to fight someone' speech. Hi Ma'at, Hi Seth." Mirella said, leaning on a window.  
  
Evie looked hurt.  
  
"Don't make fun. I'm serious. One of these days you'll be talking to one of you four and bang! You'll think you're a god."  
  
Marcus raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Yes, and by then we'll be old enough to proclaim senility, so we won't be so insane."  
  
*****  
  
Catherine held her head in her hand. No, she didn't think her 'mother' was insane, just…right? She normally had wondered what it would be like to be a god, especially Ma'at. Yes, she had looked through textbooks Evie owned and loved the gods. But Ma'at stuck out somehow. She was simple, sometimes unrecognized next to Osiris and Isis, but without her, the world would be chaos. If she had never existed, souls would never pass on to heaven, hearts wouldn't have anything to be weighed against. Then came Thoth. He stuck out too. With no writing, the world would never have permanent records of Egypt. And the best was that they were married. Her two favorites meant to be together. What a coincidence. And this thing about Marcus being Thoth…she didn't mind that as much as if Alex was. Marcus was…well, all things she liked. Sometimes hyper, sometimes not. Tall, dark, mysterious…someone to sweep her off her feet and carry her away to some far off country…  
  
No! No Catherine, snap back to reality! You know that will never happen, so don't even imply it. Still…being a goddess might be interesting. What might it be like? You would be immortal and live forever (but if what Evie says is correct, only if you're not killed by another god.). You would have power over something, but not everything. You would be an important part of a puzzle. Catherine wondered if she actually was a god.  
  
*****  
  
The train pulled to a stop, by special order of Rick O'Connell and a few fifty-pound bills. Everyone who wanted or had to walked off with their luggage and stared out before them. The hot sun glared down onto the shimmering sand. Nothing was before them, the train pulling away behind them. Most thought they were insane.  
  
***** 


	7. In which the gods start to bicker and an...

"Yeah, now what?" asked Alex, upon seeing the scene in front of him.  
  
Evie looked down at her son.  
  
"I'm not sure. We are 200 leagues outside of what was Thebes, so…I'm not sure."  
  
Everyone groaned and flopped down onto the sand. Well, everyone except Aredeth.  
  
"Wait. I knew we would be arriving soon, so I took the liberty of using Horus." He said, holding out his arm for the falcon.  
  
"But," began Rick "I thought he was killed by that guy…oh…um, Loch-Nah! That's it! Ya."  
  
Aredeth shook his head.  
  
"No, he was not killed, only injured. His primary flying feathers were broken, but he was found by one of the other Med-jai and he re-grew them. I was very lucky."  
  
The warrior whistled and the twelve leaders of the Med-jai rode over the sand before them.  
  
"Lahum danya naruse (note: am making up, so don't hurt me if I say a curse in Arabic)" the group said.  
  
Aredeth repeated the sentence and bowed.  
  
"They are here to see the children, and if they really are the gods we believe them to be. You may be sure through your own experiences, but, we need to be sure. Everyone under the age of twenty follow me!"  
  
And everyone under the age did.  
  
They followed Aredeth over to the eldest man, and stood before him.  
  
"Young one," he said, motioning toward Catherine, "Come here."  
  
She nervously stepped up. The man took her chin in his hand and looked past her glasses.  
  
"This one…is two sided, but they are about to combine. One is strong, enough to overpower the other when needed, but keeps itself bound. I am not sure if this side is the one needed, but it will show itself soon."  
  
He let go and turned to Alex, repeating the same thing. This continued with Mirella and Marcus. Aredeth was trying to hide a smirk.  
  
"He's only guessing. He says that when he doesn't know." He whispered into Catherine's ear "At least he got it right this time."  
  
Then the twelve men got back on their horses and rode away, leaving a pile of material.  
  
"Oh, I see they've left us a tent. Now, how many days until the day of war?" said Evie.  
  
Rick counted on his fingers, muttering to himself. "Umm…about…two?"  
  
"Okay. Then let's set up camp."  
  
*****  
  
The next morning, the Med-jai had returned, dropping off a parcel of food. Catherine crawled out of the tent and smelled breakfast cooking.  
  
"Hello everyone. What's on the menu?"  
  
"Bacon and eggs." Evie answered.  
  
Catherine sat down on the sand and gratefully took a plate of food.  
  
"So, I've been thinking. What if this isn't true?" she asked  
  
Evie looked shocked.  
  
"Well, the ancient scroll hasn't been wrong yet."  
  
"Ya, whatever. And I'm the Easter bunny." Replied Marcus, crawling out of his sleeping bag.  
  
Catherine glared at him, but then yawned. "I suddenly feel very sleepy"  
  
"But you just woke up!" cried Evie, "It's only 7 o'clock in the morning!"  
  
But still, they continued to lie down on the sand and sleep.  
  
They woke up about half an hour later, but Catherine had changed. Their eyes were brown.  
  
Catherine stood up and stretched. 0  
  
"Thoth, I believe it is time to begin the preparations." She said in Egyptian.  
  
Marcus nodded and stood up. Catherine whistled three times, and Horus landed on her outstretched arm. She whispered in his ear, and he took off.  
  
By now, Evie had dropped the frying pan and was madly shouting for Rick to come out and watch. The hawk returned and with him came the leaders of the tribes. They had no idea what was happening, and just riding toward the camp. They halted and eldest dismounted and walked over to Catherine.  
  
"Welcome, leader of Med-jai. I believe you were expecting me." She said. Oddly enough, he could understand her. He bowed and looked down on the girl.  
  
"So the time has begun for war."  
  
Ma'at nodded.  
  
"I want you to call all of your men for battle, and to begin camp here as soon as possible. Thoth, I believe you will show them armor when all are ready."  
  
Thoth nodded, while the O'Connell's watched.  
  
"How many men are in all of your command?" Ma'at asked.  
  
"Three million."  
  
"Thoth," she said, turning to her husband, "Please supply armor for three million men."  
  
Thoth nodded and turned to the empty sand dunes.  
  
"I command the desert to bring forth my armor!" he shouted.  
  
The ground suddenly shook, the sand rippling away from a central point. A huge stone building rose up from the ground, decorated all with stone.  
  
Thoth turned to Evie.  
  
"Nefertiri, you and the Med-jai have been made the armor of the second on command. You may enter first, and it will be shown to you."  
  
Evie and Rick both walked over to the building, The twelve leaders following them.  
  
Alex and Mirella walked out of the tent.  
  
"Woah! I never knew that was there!" said Alex.  
  
Ma'at whipped around and glared at him. Somehow, he and Mirella cowered and crawled back into the tent.  
  
The group followed the gods over to the building and entered. There were three large storage rooms and a lobby. To the left and right of them were fourteen suits of armor, and sixteen swords.  
  
"Nefertiri, Med-jai, here is your protection." Ma'at said, motioning to two sets.  
  
The armor was magnificent. Each piece looked to be plated with gold, and engraved with a feather and writing set. They fit perfectly.  
  
"Leaders, you may find one million sets in each room. Do not worry about the height of the shelves the armor is on, you only need to clap and point, and they will descend. For all to come down, you raise your hands and clap three times."  
  
The Med-jai nodded and went in to inspect the armor.  
  
"Oh, and your suits are here." Thoth added.  
  
*****  
  
"Evie, you know, you look good in armor." Rick muttered, as they walked out of the building.  
  
Everyone was dressed in his or her protection and the Med-jai leaders rode off to call their men.  
  
"Thank you. I've never worn it before."  
  
"You should wear it more often." Rick grinned.  
  
Evie rolled her eyes and turned to Ma'at.  
  
"When will Seth and Nepthys show up?" she asked.  
  
Ma'at grew stony.  
  
"They will show in time, though their camp will be on the opposite end of the battle field. Their troops will show at the time of battle, and if I am correct, I know what troops he will select."  
  
*****  
  
When all were back at camp, they met Seth and Nepthys. Thoth had to hold Ma'at back from attacking Seth from the beginning, with Nepthys holding him back from the same thing. Evie did her "Now play nice, children" speech, and both calmed down, giving each other dirty looks and baring teeth.  
  
Nepthys sighed angrily.  
  
"Seth, I believe we must begin our true looks."  
  
Seth blinked and bit his tongue. He made a sound like 'alright' and mentally begged to shout insults at his enemy, but stayed silent.  
  
Ma'at went first. She sighed and tried to relax as much as she could, letting her head hang down and body go limp while standing.  
  
A purple light began to shine like an aura around her. She stretched out her arms and raised her head. A shining white band of light flew up over her face, and over her hair, making her appearance more Egyptian (including black hair), and a white ostrich feather stand up on her head. The band continued down her back, wrapping around her arms and torso, making them darker and the beginnings of a white linen dress at her torso. The band finally circled around her legs and continued to her feet, leaving a trail of linen down to her ankles, where it disappeared.  
  
She shook her head a little and spoke.  
  
"Is this better?"  
  
Rick stepped forward.  
  
"Ma'at, aren't you supposed to have wings?"  
  
The goddess looked over her arms.  
  
"Oh, well, just a minute."  
  
Ma'at held out her arms again, and bent her hands down. Out of each wrist grew a two and a half foot group of feathers, some of which fell into a fan pattern. After this, more feathers a bit more than half that amount grew out of the backs of her arms and shoulder blades.  
  
Ma'at stayed silent, and walked next to Thoth.  
  
Seth stepped forward and the identical ceremony was performed on him, only he was given the head of a black anteater with rectangular ears.  
  
Thoth and Nepthys had the same, though Thoth had the head of an ibis, and Nepthys had a bowl on top of a box on her head.  
  
Ma'at's rage was building so much, she couldn't help but blurt out something.  
  
"Why don't you go have another affair with Isis! Get her drunk again, go on! And why not kill Osiris while you're at it!"  
  
Seth flew at Ma'at.  
  
"Well, I kind of couldn't do that now, could I? I'm castrated, you pig!"  
  
"At least I didn't have my spouse run away to actually HELP somebody!"  
  
" So that means he never helped anyone before?"  
  
"No, he's helped people before, I just haven't had him run off!"  
  
"He'll never be as powerful as I am! He just writes, and is UNDER Osiris! I make all people quake under sandstorms!"  
  
"I haven't killed anyone yet, have I?!"  
  
Thoth sighed and held is forehead in his hand.  
  
"Ma'at!" he said firmly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Just let them go to the other side and leave him alone. No flying over and shouting insults either."  
  
Ma'at hung her head, while Seth made a face and was dragged off by Nepthys. 


	8. In which almost everyone gets a kiss

*****  
  
By the next afternoon, all the Med-jai had been gathered and fitted with their armor. The gods and O'Connells stood on a large cliff above the camp for orders. They had their own tents on the cliff also.  
  
"Ma'at, who will…the enemies use as their army? And what about the second in command?" Rick asked.  
  
Ma'at thought for a while, sitting on a rock.  
  
"We shall see, but as Anubis is his illegitimate son, he will most likely use his army. The lieutenants will be revealed at the time of battle."  
  
"Okay. But you do know the Anubis warriors can only be killed by cutting off their heads?" Aredeth added, drawing his sword.  
  
"Hm…we do need a level playing field…Med-jai!" Ma'at shouted, standing up to the guards. All stood and waited, their black robes fluttering in the breeze.  
  
"I have gotten word the troops the enemy had chosen may only be destroyed by decapitation!"  
  
All men drew their swords at the mention of 'decapitation'.  
  
"But!" Ma'at added, drawing her own sword, "From this moment onward until the ending of battle, you can only be killed through your heads being cut off!"  
  
Ma'at raised her sword, swung it around, and swiftly turned around and sliced Aredeth through the abdomen. He screamed and dropped to his knees, clutching his stomach.  
  
"What have you done!" Evie screamed, running over to the warrior.  
  
Aredeth looked up, and moved his hands from his stomach, and looked through the hole the sword had made. There was blood on his hands, but his stomach was seamless. Nothing had happened.  
  
Aredeth stared at Ma'at.  
  
"You truly are a goddess." He muttered as he stood and bowed. Ma'at smiled and leaned over.  
  
"I hope I did not scare you. I was only showing the ones who doubt me the truth. Any weapon that touches your body may not hurt you. Even the deepest wound will heal as soon as it is made."  
  
*****  
  
"Rick, have you seen the book of the dead? I have Amun-Rah, but not the other."  
  
Rick looked up from the fire at his wife.  
  
"Nope. You sure you brought it along?"  
  
Evie nodded and hugged the remaining book in her arms.  
  
"Last time I saw it, Alex was looking at it, but not reading it (we all know the consequences of that.). That was before Catherine had her little 'show' with the leaders."  
  
Rick gasped.  
  
"You don't think, because he's Seth, and he was looking at it, that Alex could have it?"  
  
Evie's shoulders slumped, and her legs stretched out.  
  
"Great. Not only do our children want to rip each other's guts out; one has the power to resurrect anyone it wants. This just keeps getting better and better."  
  
Rick slid over and put his arm around her.  
  
"Don't worry. How many dead people could there be around here?"  
  
Evie glared at him.  
  
"You'd be surprised."  
  
"Well, I'm sure its not that important." He said, as he kissed Evie. "It's not like Imhotep's here."  
  
Evie got up and set down the book in the tent.  
  
"You're right."  
  
Rick smiled.  
  
"That's better. Can I look at the book of Rah?"  
  
Evie grinned seductively as she crawled into the tent and set it down in her lap.  
  
"Come and get it."  
  
(Note by me: Ewwwwwwwwwwwww! I did this for you Bail, and you wanted romance, so here it is. )  
  
*****  
  
Ma'at woke up early the next morning, and climbed out of her tent. The Med- jai were already making breakfast as the sun rose over the dunes. The goddess sighed and stretched her arms and wings out. This was the day.  
  
"Med-jai!" she shouted. "Today is the day of reckoning! Today, we battle with the enemy!"  
  
Most of the men cheered and raised their swords, their armor clinking.  
  
"We will meet him three miles from here, as they will too, on the opposite side. Ready yourselves, warriors!"  
  
Ma'at walked back to her tent, where Thoth had already risen.  
  
"I heard you speaking. So today is the judgement."  
  
Ma'at nodded. Her husband rose and held her shoulders.  
  
"Ma'at, I don't want to lose you. Must you go through with this?"  
  
The goddess looked down and bit her lip. She hated when Thoth was concerned with her.  
  
"I, I'm sure Thoth. This has been planned years before, and I couldn't back out now."  
  
The god kissed her long and deep.  
  
"Are you sure now?" he asked, a smile playing on the edges of his lips.  
  
Ma'at grinned. She knew where he was going with this.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Thoth kissed her again.  
  
"Sure now?"  
  
"Positive."  
  
He kissed her again, and Ma'at began to laugh.  
  
"Still sure?"  
  
"Enough! enough. You couldn't have me run now, but feel free to keep trying."  
  
Thoth grinned back, his eyes glittering mischievously.  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
Just then, Rick and Evie walked over, both looked a bit ruffled.  
  
"Good Morning! Oh, what a wonderful day this is! La la la la la!" Evie sang, skipping along with Rick in hand.  
  
Ma'at turned to the O'Connells.  
  
"You seem happy today."  
  
"Yes, oh it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood…" Evie continued to sing as Rick explained.  
  
"She just seemed to wake up this morning and be this way." Rick said.  
  
"You're lying." Thoth answered.  
  
Rick blushed and rubbed the back of his neck.  
  
"Well, maybe, maybe not…"  
  
Ma'at cut in.  
  
"Well, hold on to that happiness soon. Today we fight Seth."  
  
Evie stopped skipping and jogged back to the group.  
  
"You're serious? I haven't even put on my armor yet."  
  
"You'll have time, sweetie, but think, any one of us could die!"  
  
"Really? Oh yeah, now I remember…"  
  
*****  
  
The Med-jai were ready within a Sahara minute, along with Evie and Rick. Thoth was still trying to 'talk' Ma'at out of war, but she could not be moved.  
  
"Ma'at, like I said before, I don't want you to die, and neither does anyone else."  
  
Ma'at raised her eyebrow and stayed silent.  
  
"Well, I'm sure even Seth has feelings. He was young then and stupid. Everyone of us screwed up somehow. I made subtle spelling mistakes, and now look how humans spell February and Wednesday. Even you messed up. Remember how you had to learn how the scale worked three times before Thutmosis III could enter after you hit your head?"  
  
The goddess sighed and looked into her husband's eyes.  
  
"I don't want to lose you either. You mean more to me than you know."  
  
***** 


	9. In which Iwont tell you anything and mak...

This was it. The day that all would happen.  
  
Oh how thrilling that sounded to Evie, though the hardest part was the waiting!  
  
Ma'at had separated the Med-jai to one and a half million per side. Why she chose to leave the center vulnerable, that was her choice.  
  
The army was now walking across the desert sand to a point they didn't know. Ma'at suddenly raised her hand and everyone stopped without a sound. They were standing on the edge of a slight dip in the sand. It was only about a foot drop, but the area the drop surrounded was huge.  
  
There over opposite side, just barely seen, was Seth and his army.  
  
Seth was in the front with Nepthys, and expected, the army of Anubis to the left and right of the gods in seemingly the exact numbers. The lieutenants were hidden behind the gods, but when the group stopped, they moved to the side, revealing-  
  
"Imhotep and" Rick said.  
  
"Ancksunamun" Evie finished.  
  
"Evie?" Rick muttered, "What are our ages?"  
  
Evie turned away from the spectacle and looked at her husband.  
  
"Rick, you know that, why do I need to say it?"  
  
"But still, how old are we?"  
  
Evie groaned and glared at her husband.  
  
"I'm thirty seven and you're thirty eight. Need I say more?"  
  
Rick stared out at the opposing army and then at the Med-jai.  
  
"We are sooo getting too old for this."  
  
Ma'at raised her sword.  
  
"Seth! I call upon you the order of war, so our empyrean battle may be finished once and for all!"  
  
Seth raised his sword and answered the affirmative.  
  
Ma'at gritted her teeth waved her hand toward the enemy, and They all ran, Seth's did the same.  
  
"And so it begins." Evie muttered half to herself, running toward Ancksunamun.  
  
*****  
  
Evie met up with the concubine mid way and both stopped, while the rest began battle with the army. It seemed as if no one would die, except for the eight-foot jackals that disappeared into sand.  
  
"Nefertiri. This is a surprise." She said, flicking her hair out of her face.  
  
Evie narrowed her eyes and swung her sword upwards. Anck blocked it and swung downward.  
  
"Anck, you don't realize," Evie started, letting the knife pass through her arm and her enemy stood shocked. "I'm immortal."  
  
That was a bold faced lie if she ever knew one. But then again, it was true, though only 99%.  
  
Anck froze and almost dropped her sword. She quickly got a hold of herself and swung again at her neck. This time, Evie deflected it and tripped Ancksunamun onto the sand.  
  
"This is why you never have long loose hair. It always kills you someway or another." Evie said, as she picked up Anck head by her hair and swung her sword at Anck's neck.  
  
*****  
  
Rick's first moments of battle were seeing Med-jai and Anubis warriors locked in mortal combat. The second was of Imhotep's face.  
  
Neither said a word as Rick went for the priest's leg, and the latter went for Rick sword arm. As Evie had experienced it, the sword just passed through the flesh and bone, just leaving a cut shirt. Imhotep was just as shocked as Rick was.  
  
"How'd that happen?" he said, looking at his shirt.  
  
Imhotep did a double take.  
  
"You can understand me?" Rick asked. Imhotep nodded.  
  
"That makes this so much easier." He said, swinging toward Rick's torso.  
  
Rick looked down at his torso, then back at Imhotep, and grinned.  
  
"Great, isn't it? He said, swinging his sword at his head.  
  
Imhotep didn't have any time to respond.  
  
Rick went off to find his wife, knocking off a few Anubis warriors in the trip. He found her chopping off heads next to Thoth and Nepthys.  
  
"Hi honey!" he said, joining on the fun.  
  
Evie glanced over at Rick and smiled.  
  
"I take it you made quick work of Imhotep?"  
  
"Mmhmm."  
  
Suddenly, the ground rumbled and the wind picked up. A great, swirling wave of sand was headed toward Ma'at. Everyone stopped fighting and watched.  
  
The storm grew closer to the goddess, looking like an ant next to the mammoth wall of sand.  
  
"You think she'll need help?" Rick muttered.  
  
No one answered, in awe of the sight.  
  
The storm came closer than ever, now right in front of her. The wind whipped her dress and hair back, but she stood firm. Ma'at shot her winged arms out and everything stopped.  
  
Even the sand.  
  
The storm had ceased moving, and was now organized into a huge wall of sand, each grain equally separated. The goddess swirled her hands around and the sand moved so, sometimes shaped into a wall, or a pillar, then it stretched out over the desert, only a few inches high. And her arms dropped, rendering the storm harmless.  
  
The fighting began again.  
  
Through the next three hours, all of the jackals had been taken down, leaving the only battle with Seth.  
  
"Seth!" Ma'at shouted, "Your army is no more. We must finish this, so to make it fair, we go head to head, no powers, no armies, no nothing. Just us and a sword.  
  
Seth narrowed his eyes and nodded.  
  
*****  
  
Thoth and Nepthys watched in horror as the two greats squared off. Everyone could feel it in the air. This was the deciding moment. Seth had agreed to use no power this match. They would only have a sword and their wits. Each would use their strength in swordplay to derive the victor.  
  
Ma'at and Seth stood in front of each other. The armies had disappeared or left. The remaining pair of leaders stood and watched. The O'Connell's didn't know what would happen, either outcome losing a child.  
  
Seth began the battle, he shot forward, while Ma'at blocked, forcing his sword to the left. She tried to slide down the blade and slice his fingers, but he turned and flicked the edge up. She swung for his stomach, Seth blocked it vertically, trying to repeat the same move she had tried. He shot for her chest at close range, a most difficult move to block, but she once again swung to the side and succeeded in cutting his knee.  
  
Their spouses were anxiously trying not to stop the whole thing and force them away from each other. They instinctively moved closer until they were only four feet away. Enough to not be injured but close enough to try and intercept.  
  
Ma'at took the opposing end and lunged forward, Seth doing the same. The blades met and slid to the hilts, each touching the others knuckles. They let go and swung again, fast as lightning, parrying and blocking, each trying to out do each other.  
  
Finally, Seth had tripped Ma'at and began to stab for the kill. Ma'at grabbed her sword and pointed the end upward, intending to stab him before he got to her. She tripped Seth, making him fall.  
  
Nepthys and Thoth both cried out and fell forward to stop them. They succeeded.  
  
Ma'at looked up. She was not dead, but neither was Seth. A body was pierced on her sword.  
  
It was her own husband. 


	10. In which I leave all you people in suspe...

"THOTH!" she screamed, and let go of her sword, his body falling down onto the sand. Blood stained the Sahara, Thoth gasping for air.  
  
"Ma'at…" he breathed, a slight smile on the edges of his lips, "You're not dead…I have won…"  
  
"No! No, you're not dead, you can't die! I couldn't live without you! No! No, Thoth, no" Ma'at shouted through her tears, holding her husband. He gasped, and she could feel his pulse fade away. She looked up at his paling face, and kissed him, his heartbeat finally disappearing.  
  
She sobbed; mourning for her spouse…the only sound was the wind in her ears. But wait, what was that?  
  
Ma'at looked up, and was shocked by the sight before her.  
  
Seth was holding Nepthys' hand, silently crying. She too had died by her husbands weapon, and Seth was at a loss for words.  
  
The god of truth crawled over the sand and placed her arm around her enemy. They mourned for each other's loss, and Seth wept on her shoulder, Ma'at beginning to cry again.  
  
*****  
  
The O'Connell's and Aredeth stared in horror as the two swords met flesh, and the battlers realized what had happened. Aredeth realized all too quickly.  
  
"Marcus! Mirella!" he shouted, and ran toward the scene, but he was stopped some invisible force field. He reached out for his niece and nephew, mentally begging to get closer.  
  
"no" he murmured, pain showing on his face.  
  
*****  
  
Ma'at thought furiously, trying to make this all compute. What happened? Thoth and Nepthys had moved forward, trying to stop them from hurting each other, but killing themselves in the motion.  
  
Ma'at no longer wanted to fight. This was too hard. She had never lost anyone close to her, ever. Things looked so pathetic now. All this was over was the order of the world. That looked so very stupid now. Who wanted everything the same? That was boring, repetitive, and dull. Everyone wanted some surprises in their lives, and Seth could do that, and Ma'at could make the ride a little more smoother. People could accept the shocks, knowing they would pass, and vice versa.  
  
"Seth?" she said softly. He looked up, eyes still watering; "I don't want to fight anymore. I want to get along. I give up."  
  
Seth smiled a little.  
  
"I don't want to fight either. I give up too."  
  
Ma'at nodded her head, and thought. Now what?  
  
"What are we going to do?"  
  
Seth squeezed his wife's hand.  
  
"I'm not sure. I don't remember Ra saying anything about when-"  
  
"Ra! That's it! Nefertiri! Nefertiri!" Ma'at shouted, getting up and running over to Evie.  
  
"Do you have the book of Amun-Rah?" she asked hopefully.  
  
Evie nodded, but was lost.  
  
"Yes, I do, but what-"  
  
"Please, could you bring it here?"  
  
"Sure, I guess, but I still-"  
  
"Go!"  
  
Evie ran off as quick as she could to her tent and picked up the heavy gold book. She ran back, and handed it to Ma'at.  
  
"Thank you. Seth!" she yelled. Seth looked up.  
  
"We have the book!" she shouted happily, lifting it up for him to see.  
  
Seth looked down and shook his head. Ma'at walked over to the god and crouched down.  
  
"What is wrong? I thought the book always killed the evil, the dead, and raised the good."  
  
Seth looked up.  
  
"It can only resurrect people Ma'at. Only the mortal that have been born may be raised again. It does not work on gods. I'm very sorry."  
  
He looked down again.  
  
Ma'at thought and bit her lip.  
  
"Wait! Seth, it can work! Nepthys and Thoth were mortal, because if they weren't, they would be here. They were born, I know, because I am the daughter of Rah, and you and our spouses were the children of Geb and Nut, the god and goddess of the sky and air. So ha!"  
  
Seth sighed and shrugged. Hey, it was worth a try.  
  
"Go ahead, oh ever hopeful one." He said, with a wave of his hand.  
  
Ma'at glared at him, but opened the book and started to read. Page after page she recited aloud, never slipping.  
  
*****  
  
Aredeth woke up. He had been so exhausted from grief and crying he had fallen asleep where he lay. He shook his hair and looked up, praying this was some horrible dream, and he would see his relatives again.  
  
But it was not to be. The sight before him was different. Ma'at and Seth were leaning over the two bodies, Ma'at reading from a book, and Seth sighing and wiping his eyes. The goddess looked to be on the last page of what she was reading, ready to close it and wait for something.  
  
But she stopped, pointed to a symbol on the bottom right corner to the page, and turned her head toward Seth, mumbling something. Seth leaned over and looked, but he shook his head. They both looked up and over at the O'Connell's, shouting something.  
  
Evie jogged over to the pair and looked at what Ma'at was pointing at. She too shook her head and put her palms in the air. Rick looked miffed and smacked his forehead.  
  
"What does it look like?" he shouted over the dunes. Ma'at waved her arms up and down like a bird.  
  
"It's a stork!" Evie shouted back.  
  
Rick seemed about to run over and hit them all.  
  
"It's AMENEPHUS YOU IDIOTS!" Rick screamed.  
  
The three looked at the picture again, smiled, and nodded.  
  
Evie ran back to Rick and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"Thank you. I knew you would have to remember that one." She cooed.  
  
"Well you only pounded it into my head three billion times!"  
  
Aredeth smiled and stood up.  
  
Ma'at finished reading the book and closed it.  
  
Nothing happened. 


	11. everyone gets to go home...................

*****  
  
Rick held his wife close, wondering what would happen next. Ma'at was rereading the sentence in the book of Amun-Ra. Evie and him had both wanted this to stop before it all happened, once they found out who was who. They felt Marcus and Mirella were both as close as their own children, and never wanted anything to happen to all four.  
  
"Do you think this will work?" Evie asked softly.  
  
Rick swallowed and thought.  
  
"Well, it might. The book hasn't not worked before. It killed off Imhotep, so why not raise someone."  
  
"Good point. But I heard Seth saying that the book wouldn't work on dead gods."  
  
"I heard too! You know, you didn't teach me ancient Egyptian for nothing."  
  
Evie rolled her eyes, and playfully hit Rick in the shoulder.  
  
"Yes, but I still haven't had a chance to use the shooting skills yet."  
  
Rick shushed her and looked over toward the gods. Aredeth had awoken and was standing up, obviously antsy.  
  
Ma'at finished the book and closed it.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
At least, until the hot wind seemed to pick up. It slowly grew until a huge windstorm was howling over the desert. Sand flew up, circling around the group. Ma'at and Seth backed away, out of the cyclone to where Evie and Rick were standing. Aredeth had walked over when the wind picked up and all watched.  
  
Nothing could be seen past the storm, but in it, the shadows of Thoth and Nepthys could be seen, they were still in the same positions from when they fell.  
  
(POV Rick)  
  
Wait, what was that?  
  
Something moved, if only a little. Something twitched.  
  
Probably just the wind. At this speed, anything could move.  
  
But-there it was again! Thoth's arm moved! It's moving! It's lifting up and…it's pulling the sword out? So is Nepthys!  
  
(POV Evie)  
  
They're alive! Holy (censored)!  
  
Thoth is standing up, and helping Nepthys to get up too! What the (censored)! They don't seem to be hurt, well, anymore.  
  
(Back to third person look)  
  
Everyone was speechless as the two rose. The wind subsided and the sand fell.  
  
There, dusting themselves off, were Thoth and Nepthys.  
  
Ma'at and Seth yelled and sprinted toward the two and hugged them. Thoth and Ma'at looked as if they were kissing, but the view was blocked by Seth and Nepthys.  
  
Aredeth was shouting and jumping in the air.  
  
"Yaaa! Woo! Praise God, they're alive! Yes!"  
  
The O'Connell's walked over to the four, Aredeth running forward and bear hugging Thoth and Nepthys.  
  
"You're back." Rick said. They nodded and smiled.  
  
Evie grinned.  
  
"Let's all go back to camp." She said.  
  
And they did.  
  
*****  
  
They walked back to the camp, the Med-jai sitting and relaxing, though the younger ones were fooling around with the 99% invincibility, trying to cut off each other's arms.  
  
When Ma'at and the others entered the camp the elder rose and drew his sword.  
  
"Your grace, have you known the enemy was following you?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, in fact I did. I would like everyone to know that I have called a stalemate, and we will no longer fight. Too many people are lost" Ma'at answered, and held Thoth's hand.  
  
The elder nodded and bowed a little at the waist. He then called to his troop leaders.  
  
"Let it be told that Ma'at has called off the war. We may all go home!"  
  
The Med-jai cheered and raised their hands.  
  
Thoth leaned over.  
  
"And you may keep the armor, though you will have to become normal again."  
  
The elder laughed and called to the crowds once more.  
  
"And we may keep our armor!"  
  
Ma'at stepped forward.  
  
"All Med-jai, please stand." She asked. Every single one of the black robed warriors stood.  
  
"You fought well, and I pray none of you were lost."  
  
They cheered, giving the positive.  
  
"But, all things must end, and so," She said, waving her hand across the gathering of men, "You are now are all able to be injured once more, even without decapitation."  
  
"She's right!" shouted a lone voice; "I just got a paper-cut!"  
  
And they all enjoyed a good laugh as they departed.  
  
Soon only the original tent was left. When they walked over and sat, Ma'at turned to Rick and Evie.  
  
"Med-jai, Nefertiri, my time is fleeting. Soon, I will depart, and the one you know as Catherine will return. Our hearts will still be as separate, but the same. If I were red, and the previous Catherine blue, when I leave, she will be purple. Do not fear this. Catherine will know what has happened, but only in as if she were watching. It will not be a dream to her. It will be memories. Thoth, Seth, and Nepthys will also be the same, though they will not tell you. The gods will return to where we are needed, and have enjoyed our time on earth. The relationships may be the same as now, though humans differ from us."  
  
Evie smiled.  
  
"May I ask one last question?"  
  
Ma'at nodded. "Go ahead."  
  
"How can you kiss Thoth if he has the head of an Ibis?"  
  
Ma'at looked confused.  
  
"He has the head of an ibis? I never knew that. He always looked like every other Egyptian man, except with these wonderful eyes, and a tattoo of a brush and ink set on his upper arm."  
  
"Oh, alright," Evie answered, confused, "Thank you."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Ma'at yawned and lay down on a mat. Then Thoth and the others followed her, and slept. They lay for a while, at least three hours.  
  
While they were sleeping, Aredeth walked over.  
  
"Evie, Rick, I want to thank you. If it were not for the book, I would have lost my greatest friends. I will leave now, and if you want you can explain to their parents that I left early, and you decided to take them on a trip or something. I am a leader of my people, and I must go, though I probably will return soon. May Allah smile upon you!"  
  
And Aredeth got onto a horse and rode off into the desert, Horus following him over the sand.  
  
Evie leaned back onto Rick.  
  
"Well, it looks like our adventure is coming to a close." She sighed. Rick nodded and laughed to himself.  
  
" And I'm still wondering whether a place like you should be doing in a girl like this."  
  
Evie looked at him.  
  
"Whenever did I say that?"  
  
"You were drunk. Of course you said that. You don't remember?"  
  
"I was not! I never get drunk!"  
  
Rick smiled.  
  
"Of course you didn't Evie, of course you didn't."  
  
Catherine stirred.  
  
"Hm? Where am I?" she muttered to herself.  
  
"Good morning Catherine" Evie said sweetly.  
  
The girl looked up and smiled.  
  
"Hello. Are we going to be leaving now?"  
  
"Leaving? Why?"  
  
"Because that Ma'at seemed to be finished with you and the Med-jai, that's why. Oh, that left me in so much suspense when her and Seth were fighting! I never knew what was going to happen next!"  
  
Marcus and Alex woke up and sighed, Alex rubbing his eyes.  
  
"That certainly was an experience. I never knew gods could talk English!" Alex remarked. Marcus nodded.  
  
"I thought Thoth was pretty neat too. I liked his eyes. Very interesting."  
  
"Are you guys kidding? Nepthys had to be the best. Look at the way she saved Seth!" Mirella butt in.  
  
"Hey!" started Marcus, "Thoth saved Ma'at too!"  
  
Evie stood up.  
  
"Everyone, we're going to start packing up now. The train should be arriving in oh…fifteen minutes!"  
  
"How can you tell that? You don't even have a watch." Asked Rick.  
  
"It's called guessing." Evie answered.  
  
Somehow, fifteen minutes later, a train did stop, and they all piled on. They sat down, ready to go back to Cairo and rest.  
  
"So, Catherine, how do you like our family now?" Rick said, as the train was pulling away.  
  
" I think it's…interesting."  
  
Evie came over and sat next to her husband.  
  
"Well, whatever has happened Catherine, we'll love you just the same."  
  
Catherine smiled at her parents.  
  
"And I love you too…Mum and Dad."  
  
The End! (lalala!) 


End file.
